The present invention relates generally to footwear, and in particular to footwear that combines a one piece molded upper and midsole designed to contour to the wearer's foot with a unique wrap around lacing system. The footwear is particularly suited to water sports and other water-related activities, although the invention is not limited to any specific type of footwear or activity.
Conventional footwear has two primary elements, namely the upper and the sole structure. The upper is often made from leather, synthetic materials or a combination thereof. The upper is attached to the sole structure, forming a void or receptacle in the interior of the footwear for receiving and securing the foot to the footwear. The sole structure traditionally includes multiple layers of material commonly referred to as the midsole and the outsole.
Traditional water sport footwear are boat shoes, sandals, and wet boots. Unfortunately, each of these types of footwear has drawbacks that can detract from the pleasure of water-related activities. Commonly, boat shoes have waterproof leather uppers combined with rubber soled bottoms. There are several drawbacks for the water sport participant when using waterproof leather in water sports. For instance, it is common for the wearer to fully submerge his or her foot and footwear in water, or come into contact with enough water to saturate the interior of the shoe. The in-shoe experience of the wearer is lessened in terms of comfort as perspiration and externally introduced water can saturate the skin, which, in turn, may lead to skin irritation, fungal infections or other problems, let alone general discomfort. Although the upper is able to provide protection and the rubber outsole can provide traction on slippery, wet surfaces, the regulation of the in-shoe climate is limited due to the properties of the upper material as well as a lack of ventilation. This can make for a hot and unpleasantly wet foot experience.
In contrast to boat shoes, known water sport sandals offer the benefit of air circulation. However, such sandals typically do not provide the protection, stability or traction of a boat shoe. Wet boots have a rubber and neoprene construction that offers protection from sand, stones, sharp objects and cool water. Wet boots may be suitable for beach walks and water activities such as surfing. However, this conventional construction is not suitable for trekking in wet or hot environments. Neither is it suitable for use on slippery surfaces. Furthermore, known wet boots do not offer durability, traction or stability for rough terrain. Moreover, once water enters into a wet boot, it is difficult to evacuate the water without removing the wet boot from the wearer's foot.
Therefore, a need exists for a new type of footwear suitable for water-related activities and wet environments to overcome these and other problems.